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Kids Talk: Judges 6-8 (Big Bible Adventure #38)

In the following situations is it better to have more people or less people?

In a football match, is it better to have 11 players than 10 players?

In a busy A&E department, is it better to have more doctors or less doctors?

If you were delivering leaflets to every house in Banstead, is it better to have more people to help or less people to help?

If you were clearing up rubbish on Epsom Downs after the Derby, is it better to have more people to help or less people to help?

If you ran a theatre, is it better to have more people watching the show or less people watching?

We’re going to see in the next part of the Big Bible Adventure that some times it is better to have less people than more people.

The people of Israel were slaves again because they refused to obey God and serve Him only. Over the years God raised up people called ‘Judges’ to lead the people and rescue them from slavery. But once these judges did, the people became slaves again until the next judge appeared on the scene.

At one time the people of Israel were slaves to the Midianites. They cried out to God to rescue them and God sent a man called Gideon to be their judge or Saviour. God told Gideon to get together an army to fight the Midianites and 32,000 men volunteered.

But God said that was too many, so say that anyone in the army who is scared should go home. 22,000 men did, leaving 10,000 men. But that was still too many. So God said to Gideon, when the men go down to the river to drink, keep the men who lap up the water, and send home those who drink like a dog. Gideon did just that, leaving an army of just 300 men.

Israel had an army of 300, however the Midianite army was huge – more than anyone could count – but God told Gideon not to worry. Instead he was to give his men a jar, a torch and a trumpet. During the night they were to creep up to the Midianite camp, smash the jars, blow the trumpets and shout “For the Lord and for Gideon!”

Well that’s what they did and when they did, the Midianites panicked, fled and in the confusion killed each other. “Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land enjoyed peace for forty years.” (Judges 8:28)

Now why was an army of 300 better than an army of 32,000? With a big army, Israel would think they had rescued themselves, but the small army said that only God could have saved them!

Sadly after Gideon died, Israel disobeyed God again and found themselves in slavery again. They needed a saviour again.